1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Plasma Display Panel (PDP), and more particularly, to a PDP which can obtain a strong electric field effect during an address discharge and prevent an abnormal discharge in a non-display area.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plasma display is a flat panel display including a PDP and is expected to be a next generation large flat panel display due to its large screen size and excellent characteristics, such as high resolution, extreme thinness and lightness, and large viewing angle. Furthermore, the method of manufacturing the plasma display is simpler than the method of manufacturing other flat panel display panels, and it is easy to increase the size of the plasma display.
PDPs are classified into Direct Current (DC) PDPs, Alternating Current (AC)PDPs, and hybrid PDPs according to a supplied discharge voltage, and into opposite discharge PDPs and surface discharge PDPs according to their discharge structure.
In a DC PDP, all electrodes are exposed to a discharge space, and charges move directly between corresponding electrodes. In an AC PDP, at least one electrode is covered by a dielectric layer and a discharge occurs due to the effect of an electric field on wall charges, instead of charges directly moving between corresponding electrodes.
Since the electrodes in the DC PDP can be seriously damaged because the charges directly move between the corresponding electrodes, the AC PDP has recently been used more often.
In an AC PDP, address electrodes, X electrodes, and Y electrodes are arranged around a discharge space between a front substrate and a rear substrate and partitioned by barrier ribs. When a discharge occurs, an address discharge initially occurs between the address electrode and the X electrode or the Y electrode, and subsequently, a sustain discharge occurs between the X electrode and the Y electrode.
However, in the AC PDP, a long discharge path between the address electrode and the X electrode or the Y electrode during the address discharge results in a high address discharge voltage, and it is difficult to maintain the address voltage.